Editor's note: This post was originally published on December 10, 2021, and has been updated for accuracy, comprehensiveness, and freshness on April 24, 2026.
Whether you’re named in someone’s will, believe you may have been left out of one, or are trying to settle an estate, knowing how to find out if a will exists is an important first step.
This guide explains where wills are kept, how to search for them, and what to do if you can’t find one.
Most people keep their wills in one of the following places:
The challenge is that there’s no universal database of wills. A will only becomes part of the public record after it’s filed with a probate court.
If someone has recently passed away and you believe they had a will, here are the steps to follow:
If you know (or can find out) who the person’s estate planning attorney was, contact that office. The attorney may hold the original will or know where it is.
Wills are often kept in a home file cabinet, safe, or with other important documents. Look for files labeled “estate planning,” “legal documents,” or “will.”
If the deceased had a safe deposit box, it may contain the original will. In many states, you can access a deceased person’s safe deposit box specifically to retrieve a will even without full estate authority.
If probate has already been opened, the will may be on file at the probate court in the county where the deceased lived. Many courts have online search tools or will allow you to search records in person.
Some states and private organizations maintain will registries. The U.S. Will Registry allows you to search for a missing will and connects you with attorneys who can assist if the will isn’t found.
If you’ve exhausted your search and can’t locate a will, the estate will likely be distributed according to the state’s intestacy laws—the default rules that apply when someone dies without a valid will. This may not match what the deceased would have wanted.
If you believe a will exists but is being withheld, an attorney can help you pursue legal options to compel its production.
Navigating estate matters after a loved one’s death can be legally complex. A LegalShield membership connects you with a provider lawyer who can help you search for a will, understand probate procedures, and protect your rights as a potential beneficiary.
Explore LegalShield’s estate planning resources to learn more.
To find a physical copy of a deceased’s Will, check the deceased person’s home, office, filing cabinets, safes, or safe deposit boxes.
You may also be able to get a physical copy of a Will through the probate court, the deceased’s lawyer, or the executor of the deceased’s estate.
There are several ways you can search for a Will online. You could check the U.S. Will Registry to see if the deceased has registered where to find a copy. You could also search the probate court’s website, if possible. Finally, you could see if the deceased has a digital copy on their computer or in the cloud.
Typically, if someone left you something in a Will, their executor or lawyer will contact you. If you don’t hear anything and want to check yourself, you could reach out to them, the deceased’s family, or the probate court.
Someone could hide a Will from you after a deceased’s death, but doing so is usually illegal. In most states, it’s against the law to withhold an original Will from the probate court.
Illegally hiding a Will could lead to criminal liability or a civil lawsuit. It could also cause the person who hid it to be barred from receiving an inheritance.
Once you've located the will, the next question is usually when probate is required for an estate — not all assets have to go through the court process, even with a valid will.
If you are the executor, your first official step is to understand how to get letters of testamentary — the court-issued document that gives you legal authority to manage the estate's assets. Once you have legal authority to act, you'll typically need to set up an estate account — a dedicated bank account for the estate's assets and expenses during the administration process."
Content Specialist at LegalShield, creating educational resources about legal and consumer protection topics. She focuses on making complex legal and financial concepts accessible to readers and has contributed to various educational articles on consumer rights and protections.
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